I'm way behind due to being sick but trying to get caught up on emails, so I just FINALLY read this one. LOL
A writer friend and I were just talking about reader taste recently. She writes romantic women's fiction. She currently has 2 series going and has found some readers report loving one of her series and not being interested in the other, while other readers absolutely love both. Her writing style and voice are the same for both. There's one tremendous difference - one series has military heroes/heroines; the other has doctors. Some readers aren't interested in military related stories, while others love them. It makes total sense that each series will have their own audiences, as well as some readers loving both.
I'm the same way as a reader. Four authors immediately pop to mind that I read avidly. All four write a couple of different genres. I LOVE their urban fantasy, but I'm not interested in their work in other genres. No difference in author voice/style/technique. The stories themselves simply don't appeal to me because they're in genres that just aren't of interest. When I meet someone who enjoys those other genres, though, I don't hesitate to suggest they check those authors out.
Yep, and subgenre matters, too. Most people wouldn't think beyond "romantic women's fiction", using my friend as an example, but she's basically writing two subgenres, because of military versus non-military heroes/heroines in her two series.
Yup, and it matters both ways. Readers who don't like "western" genre will probably never find out my Wes Crowley saga holds one of the greatest romantic love stories ever told. :-)
Loved the new story, Harvey, and the opener is fabulous! Have already added it to my "Great Opening Lines" website: https://greatopeninglines.com/short-stories#2087
Great minds, Mardy. It's one of the opening lines I used as an example in my nonfiction book, Writing Great Beginnings. :-)
And a good choice it was!
I'm way behind due to being sick but trying to get caught up on emails, so I just FINALLY read this one. LOL
A writer friend and I were just talking about reader taste recently. She writes romantic women's fiction. She currently has 2 series going and has found some readers report loving one of her series and not being interested in the other, while other readers absolutely love both. Her writing style and voice are the same for both. There's one tremendous difference - one series has military heroes/heroines; the other has doctors. Some readers aren't interested in military related stories, while others love them. It makes total sense that each series will have their own audiences, as well as some readers loving both.
I'm the same way as a reader. Four authors immediately pop to mind that I read avidly. All four write a couple of different genres. I LOVE their urban fantasy, but I'm not interested in their work in other genres. No difference in author voice/style/technique. The stories themselves simply don't appeal to me because they're in genres that just aren't of interest. When I meet someone who enjoys those other genres, though, I don't hesitate to suggest they check those authors out.
I'm totally with you. As I think I said in the post, Genre is the first guardian of reader taste.
Yep, and subgenre matters, too. Most people wouldn't think beyond "romantic women's fiction", using my friend as an example, but she's basically writing two subgenres, because of military versus non-military heroes/heroines in her two series.
Yup, and it matters both ways. Readers who don't like "western" genre will probably never find out my Wes Crowley saga holds one of the greatest romantic love stories ever told. :-)